Domenico di Giovanni, nicknamed il Burchiello, was a Florentine poet whose verse dominated the literature of the first half of the fifteenth century in Italy. The author of approximately two hundred poems, mostly sonnets, Burchiello rejuvenated the Tuscan style of poetry of the late Middle Ages labeled by scholars as “jocose” or “comic-realist”. Building upon the work of writers such as Niccolò Povero (late fourteenth century), Mariotto di Nardo di Cione nicknamed L’Orcagna (d. ca. 1435), and Stefano Finiguerri nicknamed il Za (d. 1435), Burchiello developed a nonsensical style for which he became famous. Despite the incomprehensibility of his verse, Burchiello inspired numerous imitators throughout the fifteenth century. His poetry, moreover, led to important developments in…

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Citation: Alfie, Fabian. "Domenico di Giovanni". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 August 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14056, accessed 21 November 2024.]